Food handling apparatus



A ril 8, 1941. H. P. ARNT, SR 2,237,955

FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Filed May 20, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS iIN VE&5'OR f BY 972,

April 8, 1941. H. P. ARNT, sR- 2 5 F' OOD HANDLING APPARATUS Filed May20, I958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 iNvE NToR ATTORNEYS v I April 8, 1941. ARNT, 52.237.955

- FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Filed May 20, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVE TOR IWW L/ FZNA ATTORN EYS Patented Apr. 8, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEFOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Application May 20, 1938, Serial No. 209,111

14 Claims.

The present invention relates to slicing machines and more particularlyto a machine for slicing and cutting potatoes, vegetables, fruit andvthe like.

A primary object of the present invention is the provision of a handoperated vegetable cutter suitable for domestic or restaurantuse whichis simple in construction and operation, which may be readily andconveniently adjusted to obtain the desired thickness of slice and tocut the vegetable into slices of the desired number and size, and whichis easily maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vegetable cutter ofthis character having slicing and scoring knives which are mounted forreciprocatory movement in a vertical plane with the work material beingfed laterally into the cutter in position for ready accessibility forthe operator.

A further object is the provision of a reciproeating vegetable cutter ofthis character in which the scoring knives are automatically moved intoscoring position during the forward cutting stroke of the device andinto nonscoring position during the return stroke of the device.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a reciprocatingvegetable cutter of this character having an article hopper in which thescoring knives are arranged in a plurality of sets having the knives ofthe difierent sets spaced apart by different distances for slicingdifferent thicknesses and in which a selected set of the knives isautomatically moved into scoring position during the forward stroke andwithdrawn from scoring position on the return stroke assuring anunscored surface on the article at the beginning of each cutting strokeso that the position of the article with respect to the hopper may bereadjusted as required.

Other objects and advantages will. be apparent from the followingdescription, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. l is a perspective view taken from one side of a vegetable cutterconstructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view taken from the opposite side of thevegetable cutter shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view taken from the same side as Fig. 1 andshowing the vegetable cutter with the slide plate and structureassociated therewith removed;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig.

Fig. 6 is a detail View showing the scoring knife assembly inperspective;

Fig. 7 is a perspective detail view showing the upper bearing forsupporting the scoring knife assembly;

Fig. 8 is a detail view, partly in section, showing the mechanism forlimiting rotation of the scoring knives;

Fig. 9 is a detail view, partly in section, showing the mechanism forautomatically rotating the scoring knives into a cutting position at theend of the return stroke of the cutter;

Fig. 10 is an angular elevational view of a food hopper for thevegetable cutter provided with means for dividing the hopper into aplurality of smaller compartments; and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detail View showing a modified mounting for thepusher plate of the hopper.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of theinvention there is shown a base Ill upon Which a supporting frame plateII is mounted in a substantially vertical plane by means of the anglestandards 12 and I3. -The plate H is attached to the standards 12 and I3by any suitable means such as the screws l4 and the standards areattached to the base by suitable means such as the studs I5 and the nuts[6. The supporting plate H is provided with a rectangular opening l1,best shown in Fig. 3, and a food hopper 2|! is attached to one side ofthe plate I! adjacent this opening.

As shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5 the hopper 2:! comprises an open toppedtrough-like member which extends laterally of the plate II and hasvertical side walls 2| and a horizontal bottom wall 22. A hand operatedarticle pusher 23 is positioned in the hopper and comprises a ver ticalpusher plate 24 and a rearwardly extencling operating member 25. Agripping member 21 is attached to member 25 by suitable means such asears 28 and screws or rivets 29 and the member 25 is provided with anarcuate opening 30 adapted to receive the fingers of the operator whenhis hand grips the member 21 to operate the pusher. The gripping member2! is made round and smooth to provide a firm, convenient grip thereonand is preferably rolled from sheet metal as indicated in Fig. 2. Forthe purpose of guiding the pusher in its travel toward and away from theopening I! in the plate II the side walls 2| of the hopper are providedwith an elongated slot 3| and guiding lugs 32 bolted to the handlemember of the pusher plate are adapted to fit within and slide along theslots. The sides 2| and slots 3| extend outwardly be yond the end of thebottom 22 to permit the pusher plate to travel the full length of thehopper. A guard 33 is provided at the top of the hopper adjacent theplate [I to protect the hands of the operator when placing vegetables orthe like within the hopper and to guide the such foodstuifs into properoperative position to be scored.

A pair of spaced parallel slide rods and H are carried on the side ofthe frame plate |l adjacent the upper and lower portion thereof. and arefastened by means of lugs 42 attached to the plate A slide plate 43 isremovably mounted on the slide rods All and M for reciprocatory movementpast the opening I! of the plate II. For this purpose the slide plate 43is provided at its top adjacent each end with a hook-shaped strap 44which is adapted to fit around the upper rod 48 and harig the slideplate therefrom. The slide plate 43 is also provided adjacent each endat the bottom with U- shaped downwardly opening stirrups 65 which areadapted to fit around and slide upon the lower slide rod 4| The slideplate 43 is provided With a substantially rectangular opening 48 and aslicing knife 41 is mounted within this opening adjacent the left handside thereof as viewed in Fig. 1. The outer side of the slide plate atthe left hand side of the opening 48 as viewed in Figs. 1 to 4 ispreferably tapered towards the plate I as shown at 48 to guide the cutslices and the knife 47 fits within a recess 49 provided on the innerside of the slide plate opposite this tapered portion as shown in Fig.4. The cutting edge of the slicing knife 41 is preferably inclined asshown in Figs. 1 and 2 to provide a shearing action during the cuttingstroke.

A gage plate 50 for gaging the thickness of slice which the slicingknife 41 cuts is carried by the slide plate 43 and is movable within theopening at for adjustment towards and away from the plane of the cut-offknife 41. The gage plate 50 is carried by a substantially U-shaped yokemember 5| which is attached to the slide plate 43 by any suitable meanssuch as countersunk screws and extends laterally from the plate 43 in adirection away from the plate II. A guide bar 52 is attached to the gageplate 58 by suitable means such as countersunk screws and is adapted toslide within the upper and lower legs 53 and 54 respectively of the yokemember 5!. Guide pins 55 are attached to the guide block 52 and extendoutwardly through openings provided in the bight portion 56 of the yoke5| and maintain the gage plate 55 parallel with the slide plate 43 andthe frame plate The gage plate 59 is adjusted towards and away from theplane of knife 41 to provide the desired thickness of slice by means ofa crank 60 which extends through the bight portion 56 of the yoke 5| andis provided with screw threads 6| which engage corresponding threadsprovided on the yoke 5!. The crank 60 is rotatably attached to the guidebar 52. For this purpose the end of the crank adjacent the guide bar 52is provided with a portion of reduced diameter which extends through anopening provided in the bar 52 and terminates within a slot 53 providedin this'bar adjacent the gage plate 50. A collar or the like 54 issecured to the portion of th 'crank which extends into the slot 63 bysuitable means such as a cotter pin or the like and together with theshoulder provided by the reduced portion of the crank prevents axialmovement of the crank relative to the guide bar 52. The crank is free torotate, however, Within the bearing provided by the guide bar 52 andadvances the guide bar and attached gage plate towards and away from theframe plate II and knife ll when the crank is rotated within the yoke5|.

For the purpose of providing a scoring cut to divide the vegetable sliceinto a plurality of strips such as in the cutting of French fried orshoe string potatoes, a plurality of scoring knives l0 are carried bythe slide plate 43 and are adapted to be reciprocated therewith inplanes substantially at right angles to the plane of the slicing knife41. In accordance with the present invention the scoring knives are somounted upon the slide plate that the knives are automatically movedinto a scoring position for the cutting stroke of the cutter and movedinto a noncutting position during the return stroke of the cutter toprevent undesired scoring or other injury to the vegetable being out. Inthe cutting of articles such as potatoes, the size and shape of thearticle changes with each cut such that when the article is movedforward in the hopper preliminary to each cutting stroke, the positionthereof with respect to the hopper and the scoring knives is altered. Ifthe scoring knives engage and cut the surface of the article on thereturn stroke, the scores thus made do not correspond with those made onthe next forward stroke, and the slices are thus unsightly andnon-uniform. In

T4 rality of sets in which the knives of one set are spaced apart by agreater distance than the knives of another set, the knife assemblybeing adjustable to provide for bringing one set or another into cuttingrelation, thereby affording a simple, rapid and conveniently operatedmeans for varying the number and size of strips into which the slice iscut by the scoring knives.

Referring to Fig. 6 of the drawings, the scoring knives 10 are carriedby a shaft H which is adapted to be rotatably supported on the slideplate 43. The desired spacing between the knives of the respective setsis obtained by means of spacing collars 12 which fit around the shaftbetween the respective knives. The knives are rigidly attached to theshaft for rotation therewith by means of a collar 73 which is madeintegral with, or otherwise rigidly attached to, the shaft 1| and aclamping collar '54 which is rigidly attached to the shaft 1| by a forcefit or other suitable means and clamps the knives in position. In theembodiment of the invention illustrated two sets of scoring knives areshown and alternate knives are omitted from one set to cut slices havingtwice the thickness of slices cut by the other set of knives. Where suchan arrangement is used the knives of one set and the alternate knives oftheother set may be made invone piece so as to provide a double bladedknife having one blade in each set. The cutting edges 75 of the scoringknives of one set face in an opposite direction to those of the other'set so that upon rotation of the shaft II through an angle of 180 thecutting edges of each set will lie in a plane formerly occupied by theother set. It will be apparent, however, that any desired number,spacing and arrangement of the knives may be used.

The shaft 'II is rotatably mounted on the slide plate 43 by means of asocket 80 adapted to receive the lower end of the shaft and a hearing 8|adapted to receive the portion 82 of the shaft. The shaft 'II isprovided near its lower end with a slot 84 within which the end of athumb screw 85 carried by the socket 88 is adapted to extend to preventaccidental displacement of the shaft from the socket and to clamp thescoring knives in a nonscoring position. As best shown in Fig. 7 thebearing 8! comprises a main section 90 which is attached to the slideplate and opens laterally thereof and a cap section 9| which is pivotedat one side to the main section as shown at 92. The cap 9| is providedwith a slot 93 at its opposite side within which a screw 94 pivoted onthe main bearing section is adapted to fit. A wing nut 95 threads on thepivoted screw 94 and releasably clamps the two sections of the bearingtogether to provide a lateral support for the shaft "II adjacent theupper portion of the slide plate. The socket 80 and bearing 8| supportthe shaft II in spaced relation to the slide plate 43 to permit fulladjustment of the gage plate 50.

To permit either set of the scoring knives to be rotated into a cuttingposition relative to the opening I I in the plate II the gage plate 50is provided with a plurality of horizontal slots I which correspond innumber and position to the greatest number of knives carried by theshaft lI when mounted on the slide plate. When rotated to the cuttingposition the knives of the selected set extend through the slots I00with the cutting edges I of the knives in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to the plane of the slide plate 43 as shown in thedrawings. To maintain the knives in this position during the cuttingstroke a stop mechanism is provided which limits counterclockwisemovement of the selected set of knives as seen in Fig. 4 to an angle inwhich the cutting edges l5 extend through the slots I00 of the gageplate in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto, but; permitsclockwise rotation of the blades through an angle sufiicient to bringthe projecting blades into a protected and noncutting position outsideof the gage plate on the return stroke.

Referring to Figs. 1., 6 and 8 a collar I III is rigidly attached to theshaft 'II and is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed stop lugsI 02. A latch arm I03 is pivotally mounted on hearing 8! at Ill I (Fig.7) by means of screw Mo, and is provided with a laterally projecting lugI05 adapted to extend into engaging relation with the stop lugs I02 tolimit the angle through which the shaft H and knives 10 may be rotated.The arm Hi3 is normally urged to a position by means of a spring H36 inwhich the lug I05 is adapted to engage lug M22. The respective stop lugsHi2 are so positioned relative to the respective sets of scoring knivesthat the selected set of knives can rotate in a counterclockwisedirection only to the scoring position in which the cutting edges are atright angles to the plates II and 43. The spacing between the lugs I02is such, however, that the knives can rotate in a clockwise directionthrough an angle sufficient to bring the blades outside of the gageplate.

The stop mechanism also includes means for selecting the set of scoringknives which will be used in the operation of the cutter. Referring toFig. 8 it will be evident that as long as the lug I 05 is in a positionto engage the lugs I02 only a single set of the blades can be rotatedinto the cutting position. When it is desired to use the other set ofblades to make the scoring cut the arm IE3 is manually moved to wardsthe right against the force of spring N36 to move lug I05 out of thepath of lug I02, and the shaft II is then rotated by means of handleIiII through an angle sufficient to bring the lug I05 between theopposite sides of the stop lugs I02.

The automatic withdrawal of the scoring knives takes place as follows.During the return stroke of the cutter as soon as the back ends of thescoring knives I0 engage the vegetable or the like, the shaft 'II iscaused to rotate in the socket B0 and bearing 8| to move the scoringknives into a noncutting position without defacing or cutting into thevegetable. A mechanism is provided for automatically moving the scoringknives into the cutting position prior to the next cutting stroke. Forthis purpose a collar III) is rigidly attached to the shaft II above thecollar I El and is provided with a pair of laterally extending camportions III. The cam portions III are provided with diametricallyopposed, radially extending faces IIZ which are adapted to be engaged bya pin II3, carried by the stationary frame plate I I, when the slideplate 43 approaches the end of its return stroke. The collar HE is soarranged on the shaft 'II that the radial faces II2 of the cam portionsIII lie in a plane which is substantially parallel to the cutting edgesI5 of the scoring knives "Ill so that when the knives It) and stop lugsI02 have been rotated to the cutting position illustrated in Fig. 8 inwhich lug I ill. engages lug I05 the cam faces IIZ will occupy theposition shown in Fig. 9 wherein they lie in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to the slide plate 43. When the scoring knives move to thenoncutting position during a return stroke the shaft II rotates betweenthe stop lugs I02 and causes the collar III] and cam portions III torotate in a clockwise direction from its position shown in Figs. 1 and9. As the slide plate approaches the end of its return stroke the pin H3engages the cam portion of the collar III! and rotates the shaft to theposition shown in Fig. 9 in which the lug Hi2 has engaged the lug I35and the scoring knives are rotated to the scoring position, projectingperpendicularly through slots I00 in the gage plate.

The pin II3 for rotating the scoring knives to the cutting position isprovided with a resilient mounting which is adapted to absorb shock whenthe lug Hi2 engages the lug I65. This mounting comprises a housingmember H5 provided with a cylindrical bore within which the pin H3 isadapted to slide. A portion of the bore adjacent the end of the pin I I3which is adapted to engage the cam members I II has a diameter which issubstantially greater than the diameter of the pin H3, and the pin isprovided with a collar-like portion IIB adapted to slide within thisenlarged portion of the bore. A helical spring II! is positioned aroundthe shaft within this enlarged portion of the bore and is adapted to becompressed between the collar I I 6 and the shoulder I I8 of the housingH5. A nut H9 threaded on the end of the pin H3 maintains the pin inposition within the housing I I and provides a means for adjusting theforce normally exerted by the spring I II on the collar I55. The housingH5 is supported on the frame plate Ii by means of a strap I which isattached to the rear face of the frame plate and extends upwardly andforwardly of the plate in spaced relation to the slide bar 40 to permitthe strap 44 of the slide plate 43 to slide thereunder uponreciprocation of the slide plate. The strap E29 supports the housing II5 in position for the pin I 33 to engage the face I I2 of the cam IIIand rotate the scoring blades to the cutting position at the end of thereturn stroke of the slide plate.

The slide plate 43 is reciprocated by means of a handle I which isattached to the forward face of the plate. Helical springs I25 mountedon the slide bar l0 adjacent each end thereof provide resilient stopsfor the slide plate in both directions of travel. The springs I26 arecompressed between the lugs 42 and the straps 44 and resiliently limitthe motion of the slide plate at the end of the cutting and returnstrokes.

To insure a complete scoring of the vegetable slice the scoring knivesIll are of such length as to extend, when in the cutting position,inwardly of the plane of slicing or cut-off knife 41. To accommodate theends of the scoring knives the frame plate II is provided adjacent eachside of the opening I! with a plurality of horizontally extending slotsi lll corresponding in number and position to the slots E60 and knivesID. The slots I38 are of a depth and length sufficient to prevent anycontact between the scoring knives and the metal of the plate I Ithroughout the entire travel of the slide plate 43. To permit thescoring of the last slice the pusher plate 24 of the hopper 20 isadapted to be advanced to a position flush with the forward face of theplate I I and is provided with a plurality of slots I3I, as shown inFigs. 4 and 5, which correspond in number and position to the slots I39and receive the ends of the scoring knives ill. The guide slots 3| ofthe hopper are of such length as to limit the forward movement of thepusher plate 24 to such flush position to prevent the unslotted portionof the plate being advanced into the path of the scoring knives.

To support the last slice during the scoring cut the plate I! isprovided with an opening I through which the teeth m5 of a comb I31 areadapted to extend. The comb I3! is slidably mounted on the rear face ofplate I I by means of pins I28, and coil springs I39 surround the pinsI38 between the comb It! and a nut I40 to normally urge the ends of theteeth I36 against the gage plate 59. The teeth I55 are so positioned onthe comb l3? and are of such thickness that the spaces between the teethcorrespond to the slot-ted portions I55 and I3! of the plates H and 24respectively and provide passages for the scoring knives it. To permitthe comb I31 to be positioned as close as possible to the opening I1 andat the same time prevent contact between the slicing knife 6'! and theteeth I35 of the comb, the opening I35 is preferably provided with aninclination corresponding to the inclination of the cutting edge of theslicing knife 41 and the teeth I35 are correspondingly arranged. Thestops I25 for the slide plate are so arranged as to stop the cut-offknife short of engagement with the teeth of the comb. A stop block MI ispivoted on the rear face of the plate II adjacent the comb I31 and isadapted-to be rotated into a position between the plate I I and comb I31to hold the teeth in a retracted position should it be desired not touse the comb. The comb is retracted by means of handle I42.

A shield I45 is attached to the slide plate 43 below the opening 48 andadjacent the slicing knife 41 to guide the cut vegetables or the likeover the slide bar 4I into a suitable receptacle positioned below thecutter on the base member ID. To serve as protection against the scoringknives III a guard plate I66 is mounted on the yoke member 5I andextends in protective relation around the exposed portions of thescoring knives. A pair of studs I4'I extend outwardly from the yoke 5Iand the guard member is provided with a plurality of notches adjacentone side thereof adapted to receive the guide pins 55, crank 50 andstuds I57. Wingnuts I 18 thread on the studs I41 and clamp the guardagainst the yoke member 5I. When it is desired to remove the guardmember it is only necessary to loosen the wingnuts I58 and slide theguard laterally to free the notches of the various parts receivedtherein.

In Fig. 10 there is shown a means for dividing the hopper 20 into aplurality of small compartments each adapted to support a vegetableduring the slicing and scoring out. Referring to this view the bottom22' of the hopper is provided with a pair of spaced slots I5il extendingsubstantially parallel with the side walls 2|. A U-shaped member I5Iextends around the bottom and side walls on the exterior of the hopperand carries a pair of partition plates I 52 adapted to extend upwardlyinto the interior of the hopper through the slots I58. The side portionsI53 of the member I5I which lie adjacent the sides 2I of the hopper areprovided with a vertical slot I54 having a length equal to the distancewhich the plates I52 extend above the bottom 22' of the hopper. A studor the like I55 is provided on each of the walls 2| and is adapted toextend through the slots I56. Wingnuts I56 thread on the studs I55 andclamp the member I5I to the side walls of the hopper. The slot I54permits the member I5I to be moved from the position illustrated inwhich the partition plates I52 extend into the interior of the hopperand divide the hopper into a plurality of smaller compartments adaptedfor the cutting of a small vegetable such as carrots or the like, to alower position in which the tops of the plates I52 are substantiallyflush with the upper face of the bottom 22 to provide a full sizecompartment for the cutting of larger vegetables such as potatoes or thelike. To adjust the position of the member I5I and plates I52 it is onlynecessary to loosen the wingnuts I56 and move the member I5I to thedesired position. With this structure, the pusher plate will be providedwith suitable slots to receive the several partition plates.

In Fig. 11 there is shown a guide and supporting means for the pusherplate of the hopper which permits the pusher plate to be swung to aposition substantially flush with the bottom of the hopper at theexterior end thereof to facilitate cleaning and the like. Referring tothis view the side walls 2!" of the hopper 2B" are provided with a pairof longitudinally extending slots I60 and I6I. The pusher plate 2 5" isprovidedwith side members I52 extending rearwardly thereof adjacent thesides 2|" of the hopper and these members are provided with pins I63 andI64 adapted to slide within the slots I66 and I6I, respectively, toguide the pusher plate in its movement towards and away from the openingin the frame plate II. The pin I63 is positioned in a vertical planelocated further to the rear of the pusher plate than the vertical planepassing through the pin I64. The sides 2i" of the hopper extendrearwardly beyond the bottom 21? of the hopper and are provided at therear ends thereof with arcuate projections I65 which extend downwardlybelow the bottom 22" of the hopper. The slot I60 extends further intothe overhanging portions of the side walls 2|" than the slot I6I by adistance equal to the spacing between the vertical planes passingthrough the pins I63 and I64. The downwardly projecting ends I65 of theside walls ZI" are provided with concentric arcuate slots I66 and I6!which form extensions of the slots I66 and I6I, respectively. Thearcuate slots I66 and I61 are spaced apart by a distance equal to thestraight line distance between the pins I63 and I64. From the foregoingdescription it will be evident that when the pusher plate has been movedto its outermost position in which the pins I63 and I64 are at the endsof the longitudinal slots I66 and I6I the plate may be swung downwardlyin the arcuate slots I66 and I61 to the position shown in dotted linesin Fig. 11 wherein the plate 24" is positioned substantially flush withthe bottom 22 of the hopper. Such positioning of the of the pusher plateprovides for thorough and rapid cleaning of both the hopper and theforward face of the pusher plate and further provides for feedingwithout using the pusher plate if desired.

In the operation of the cutter the crank 66 is rotated to adjust thegage plate 56 to provide the desired thickness of slice, and the desiredset of scoring knives is selected by releasing latch I63 and rotatingshaft II by means of handle I61. A vegetable or the like is then placedwithin the hopper 26 and the slide plate 43 is reciprocated on the slidebars 46 and 4I by means of handle I25 while the pusher plate 24 isinwardly towards the gage plate by means of handle 21. The verticalarrangement of the supporting plate II provides for an operation whichis most convenient for the operator to perform with his hands and whichpermits easy and convenient adjustment of the gage plate and scoringknives from a side of the cutter in full view of the operator, therebyavoiding the necessity for indicators or the like. Prior to the cuttingstroke the scoring knives I6 are rotated to the cutting position bymeans of the pin H3 and cam members III and are maintained in suchposition during a cutting stroke by means of the lugs I62 and I65. Uponthe return stroke the back edges of the scoring knives engage thevegetable or the like being cut and rotate the knives I6 and shafts IIto a noncutting position thereby avoiding injury to the material beingoperated upon. At the end of the return stroke the pin H3 and cam I I Iagain return the selected set of scoring knives to the cutting positionfor the next cutting stroke. The springs I26 mounted on the slide bar 46resiliently limit the travel of the slide plate in both the cutting andreturn strokes. The pusher plate 24 is guided in the slots 3| and can bemoved forward to a position in which the slots I3I thereof arecoincident with the slots I36 of the plate II. The teeth I36 of the combI31 are normally urged into engagement with the gage plate and provide alateral supportfor scoring the last slice of a vegetable or the like.The comb may if desired be retracted from its operative position andmaintained in the inoperative position by means of the stop block I4I.

When it is desired to remove the scoring knives it. is only necessary toloosen the wingnuts 65, and I48, remove the guard I46, swing the capsection 9| of the bearing 8i outwardly and lift the shaft II from thesocket 66 by means of handle I61. When it is desired to remove the slideplate for cleaning of the slicing knife 47, gage plate 56 and hopper 26it is only necessary to lift upwardly on the plate to disengage thehooks 44 and stirrups 45. Reassembly of the cutter merely involves thereverse operations and is as simple, quick and convenient as thedisassembly thereof.

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferredembodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the inventionis not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes maybe made therein withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention whichis defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a slicing machine of the character described, hopper meansprovided with a discharge opening, supporting means for said hoppermeans, a slicing knife carried by said supporting means in operativerelation to said discharge opening, a scoring knife carried by saidsupporting means in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane ofsaid slicing knife, said supporting means providing for relativereciprocating movement between said hopper means and said slicing andscoring knives to provide a cutting stroke and a return stroke for saidknives relative to said discharge opening, means supporting said scoringknife for movement from a cutting to a noncutting position relative tosaid discharge opening, said scoring knife being adapted to move to thenoncutting position during said return stroke, and means operable by therelative reciprocating movement between said hopper means and saidscoring knife for moving said scoring knife into said cutting positionfor said cutting stroke.

2. In a slicing machine of the character described, hopper meansprovided with a discharge opening, a support for said hopper means, areciprocating slide carried by said support to provide a cutting strokeand a return stroke, a slicing knife carried by said slide forreciprocatory movement past said discharge opening, a shaft carried bysaid slide, a plurality of scoring knives mounted on said shaft,supporting means for said shaft providing for rotation of said knivesfrom a cutting position to a noncutting position rela: tive to saiddischarge opening during the return stroke of said slide, and meansoperable at the beginning of the cutting stroke of said slide forrotating said scoring knives into said cutting position for the cuttingstroke of the slide.

3. In a slicing machine of the character described in which a slicingknife and a plurality of spaced scoring knives arranged in planessubstantially perpendicular'to the plane of the slicing knife arereciprocated in a plurality of cutting strokes and return strokesrelative to the discharge opening of a hopper to slice and score avegetable or the like, a shaft supporting said scoring knives,supporting means for said shaft providing for rotation of said knivesfrom a cutting position to a noncutting position relative to saiddischarge opening during the return stroke of the knives, and meansoperable at the end of the return stroke for rotating said scoringknives into said cutting position for the cutting stroke thereof.

4. In a slicing machine of the character described, hopper meansprovided with a discharge opening, a support for said hopper means, areciprocating slide carried by said support and movable in a cuttingstroke and a return stroke,

a slicing knife carried by said slide for recipl rocatory movement pastsaid discharge openin a shaft carried by said slide, a plurality ofscoring knives mounted on said shaft, means supporting said shaft forfree rotation of said scoring knives from a cutting position to anoncutting position relative to said discharge opening during the returnstroke of said slide, stop means associated with said shaft for limitingrotation of said scoring knives and maintaining said knives in a cuttingposition during the cutting stroke, and means cooperating with saidshaft and operable for rotating said scoring knives into said cuttingposition for the cutting stroke of the slide.

5. In a slicing machine of the character described, hopper meansprovided with a discharge opening, a support for said hopper means, areciprocating slide carried by said support to provide a cutting strokeand a return stroke, a slicing knife carried by said slide forreciprocatory movement past said discharge opening, a shaft carried bsaid slide, a plurality of scoring knives mounted on said shaft in aplurality of angularly arranged sets, the knives of one set having aspacing different from the spacing of the knives .-L.-

of another set, means supporting said shaft for free rotation of each ofsaid sets of scoring knives from a cutting position to a noncuttingposition relative to said discharge opening during the return stroke ofsaid slide, stop means associated with said shaft for limiting rotationof said sets of scoring knives to permit only a selected set to berotated into said cutting position and to maintain said selected set inthe cutting position during the cutting stroke of the slide, meanscooperating with said shaft and operable by movement of said slide forrotating the selected set of scoring knives into said cutting positionfor the cutting stroke of the slide, and means for disengaging said stopmeans to permit rotation of said shaft to select the set of scoringknives adapted to be moved into and out of said cuttin position uponreciprocation of said slide.

6. In a slicing machine of the character described, a supporting framemounted in a substantially vertical plane, a slide carried by said frameand mounted for reciprocatory movement thereon in a substantiallyvertical plane, a slicing knife carried by said slide, a hopper carriedby said frame laterally thereof, said hopper comprising bottom and sidewalls and having a discharge opening lying in the plane of said frame, apusher plate for said hopper, means supporting and guiding said pusherplate for movement towards and away from said discharge opening, andmeans positioned remote from said discharge opening and cooperating withsaid supporting and guiding means for swinging said pusher plate into aplane substantially coincident with the plane of said bottom.

7. In a slicing machine of the character described, a supporting framemounted in a substantially vertical plane, a slide carried by said frameand mounted for reciprocatory movement reon, knife meanscarriedbysaidslide, a hope per carried by said frame laterally thereof, saidhopper comprising bottom and side walls and having a discharge openinglying in the plane of said frame, a supporting member extending aroundthe side and bottom Walls of said hopper, said hopper bottom beingprovided with a slot therein, a partition carried by said supportingmember and adapted to extend upwardly through said slot to divide saidhopper into a plurality of smaller compartments, the portions of saidsupporting member adjacent the side walls of the hopper being providedwith elongated slots and clamping means extending through said elongatedslots for supporting said partition in either a raised or loweredposition relative to the interior of said hopper.

8. A slicing machine of the character described comprising a supportingbase, a hopper for receiving material to be sliced and having adischarge opening, a slicing knife arranged in operative relationshipwith respect to said discharge opening and work material contained insaid hopper, scoring knife means arranged in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to the plane of said slicing knife and adapted to effect ascoring out upon work material contained in said hopper at saiddischarge opening upon operation of the slicing machine, means formounting said hopper and said slicing and scoring knives on said basefor relative reciprocation of said hopper with respect to said slicingand scoring knives to effect successive cutting and return movements ofthe knives relative to said discharge opening and the work materialwithin the hopper, said mounting means including supporting means forsaid scoring knife means providing for free movement of said knife meansduring said return movement from an operative position in which thescoring knife extends into cutting relation with respect to workmaterial in the hopper to an inoperative non-scoring position relativeto said work material, said scoring knife means being moved from saidoperative cutting position during said return movement under action ofwork material contained in said hopper, and means effective at apredetermined point in the cycle of relative movement between the hopperand the slicing and scoring knives for restoring said scoring knifemeans to the operative cutting position for cutting operation upon asubsequent cutting stroke.

9. A slicing machine as defined in claim 8 in which said scoring knifemeans comprises a supporting shaft, a plurality of scoring knivesprojecting from said shaft and arranged in a plurality of sets, theknives of one set being angularly related to and having a spacingdifferent from the knives of another set, and said knife mounting meansincluding provision for angular adjustment of said supporting shaft to apredetermined angular position to select a desired one of said pluralityof sets of knives for actuation to operative and inoperative positionsin the courseof said reciprocating movement.

10. In a slicing machine of the character described, a supporting framemounted in a substantially vertical plane, a hopper carried by saidframe laterally thereof and having a discharge opening lying in theplane of said frame, a slide plate, knife means carried by said slideplate, and means for removably mounting said slide plate in asubstantially vertical plane on said supporting frame for reciprocatorymovement of said knife means with respect to said discharge opening overa predetermined stroke of movement comprising a pair of verticallyspaced substantially horizontal slide bars carried by said frame, upperand lower supporting means carried by said slide plate and having guideportions adapted to fit over and rest upon said respective slide bars toguide and support said slide and assembled knife means for reciprocationthereon, said guide portions of the upper and lower supporting meansbeing constructed with openings at one side thereof providing" fordirect upward lifting and lateral removal of the slide plate and saidassembled knife means from and replacement thereof upon said slide barswithin the limits of said stroke of movement to facilitate cleaning ofthe machine.

11. In a slicing machine of the character described, a supporting framemounted in a sub stantially vertical plane, a hopper carried by saidframe laterally thereof and having a discharge opening lying in theplane of said frame, a slideplate, a slicing knife carried by said slideplate, a plurality of scoring knives mounted on said slide plate, andmeans for removably mounting said slide plate in a substantiallyvertical plane on said supporting frame for reciprocatory movement ofsaid slicing and scoring knives with respect to said discharge openingover a predetermined stroke of movement comprising a pair of verticallyspaced substantially horizontal slide bars carried by said frame, asupporting member extending upwardly from said slide plate and having aguide portion adapted to fit over and slide upon the upper of said slidebars, a supporting member extending downwardly from said slide plate andhaving a guide portion adapted to fit over and slide upon the lower ofsaid slide bars, said guide portions resting on said respective slidesunder the action of gravity and each. of said portions having an openingat one side thereof to provide for direct removal and replacement of theslide plate together with the knives carried thereby within the limitsof said stroke of movement by merely lifting said supporting members offof said slide bars and replacing the same thereon, and handle meanscarried by said slide plate to effect reciprocatory movement thereof onsaid slide bars and facilitate removal and replacement of the slideplate.

.12. In a slicing machine of the character described, a supporting base,a hopper for receiving material to be sliced and having a bottom walland opposite side walls, knife means extending in a substantiallyvertical plane for slicing said material, means for mounting said hopperand said knife means on said base for relative reciprocation of saidhopper with respect to said I thereof and spaced from and out of contactwith the inside surface of said side walls for dividing said hopper intoa plurality of smaller compartments.

13. In a slicing machine of the character described, hopper meansprovided with a, discharge opening, a support for said hopper means, areciprocating slide carried by said support and reciprocable withrespect to said hopper means in a cutting stroke and a non-cuttingreturn stroke, a slicing knife carried by said slide for reciprocatorymovement past said discharge opening, a gage plate carried by said slideextending across said discharge opening for gaging the depth of cut tobe made, said gage plate being provided with slots extendinglongitudinally thereof and substantially parallel to the path ofmovement of said slide, a shaft also carried by said slide, a pluralityof scoring knives mounted on said shaft, means for rotatably supportingsaid shaft with said knives in operative position extending through theslots of said gage plate and into scoring position upon the cuttingstroke of said slide, said supporting means providing for free movementof said scoring knives from said operative cutting position to aninoperative position with the knives withdrawn into said slots, andmeans effective at a predetermined point in the cycle of relativemovement and the slicing and scoring knives for restoring said scoringknife means to the operative cutting position for cutting operation upona subsequent cutting stroke.

:14. In a slicing machine of the character described, hopper meansprovided with a discharge opening, a support for said hopper means, areciprocating slide carried by said support and reciprocable withrespect to said hopper means in a cutting stroke and a non-cuttingreturn stroke, a slicing knife carried by said slide for reciprocatorymovement past said discharge opening, a gage plate carried by said slideextending across said discharge opening for gaging the depth of cut tobe made, said gage plate being provided with slots extendinglongitudinally thereof and substantially parallel to the path ofmovement of said slide, a shaft also carried by said slide, a pluralityof scoring knives mounted on said shaft, means for rotatably supportingsaid shaft with said knives in operative position extending through theslots of said gage plate and into scoring position upon the cuttingstroke of said slide, said supporting means providing for free movementof said scoring knives from said operative cutting position to aninoperative position with the knives withdrawn into said slots, meansfor adjusting the gage plate transversely of the slide while retainingthe slicing and scoring knives in fixed position relative to the slideto provide for varying the depth of cut, and means effective at apredetermined point in the cycle of relative movement and the slicingand scoring knives for restoring said scoring knife means to theoperative cutting position for cutting operation upon a subsequentcutting stroke.

HERALD P. ARaNT, SR.

